Oxygenation
by LostLungs
Summary: In the hospital once his cancer got really bad, James Wilson asks Dr. Erin Frances to tell him the story about how they met and fell in love. It all started when House was forced to hire a new doctor. Then it happened that Wilson fell for her. This is the story of their relationship and Frances' time at PPTH. Slight rewrite of season 8. Contains spoilers. NEW CHAPTER 5 IS UP NOW.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Newly updated and revised chapter 1. I'm starting over from chapter 1. I know that isn't a big deal since I only posted to chapter 3 but just wanted to let you know. Some changes have been made. This is the story of OC Frances and Wilson. This chapter is like a flash forward, and the rest of this story will be recounting the story of how they met and how their relationship developed from there. It'll make more sense once you've read this chapter. Takes place during season 8 of House. Slightly AU because in this story Dr. Adams did not come to work for House and was instead replaced by Dr. Frances. **

**Please review. It means absolutely so much to me, I wake up and if I see I have a review it makes me so unbelievably happy. I want to know what you think! I'll continue faster if you guys want me to and let me know with a quick review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own House, MD. **

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"I need oxygen!" The silence that had filled the room vanished when Erin Frances' usually deep voice, shrilly screamed. The new nurse who was on shift just stood there, unsure of what to do. Frances glared at her and the wide eyed woman looked back and forth between her and Chase and Taub.

Running over to the body that lay on the hospital bed Frances lowered her head down onto his wide chest, beneath his broad sculpted shoulders, checking for breath sounds. There weren't any. An overwhelming feeling of dread appeared in the pit of her stomach. She looked over to Chase and Taub who were standing in the corner of the room. They both were people she had learned to rely on, to trust. Yet there they were not attempting to do anything. Her eyes lashed out at them in anger

How could they just stand there! She felt furious that they had given up hope so soon.

Deep down inside her, a voice she would never claim to be her own, reminded herself that they were doing the right thing. This was expected when the patient is terminal. They knew there was nothing they could do. It would be useless to try. They were being sensible.

But that didn't mean she was going to be.

"What are you incompetent!" Frances yelled at the nurse. The woman in question jumped at the sound. She was young and obviously frightened. The sensible part of herself was telling her to sympathize, to try to understand and to stay calm. That would've been the reasonable thing to do.

It's what he would've done.

Not her.

The nurse still made no movements to comply with Frances' wishes. She was about to leave the room and get the oxygen machine herself when she saw Taub open his mouth to stop her. Upon seeing her expression he hesitated. Chase picked up where he left off.

"Frances" He said slowly in his deep Australian drawl. There was a look of compassion in his eyes along with a contrasting look of serious authority. "There's obviously a conflict of interest here, you really shouldn't be treatin-"

"I said get me the god damn oxygen!" Her voice cracked as she practically pleaded with anyone who would listen. She knew the patient still had a chance, they just had to try. She needed someone to let her try. A tear fell down her cheek as she blinked and it fell down onto the man beneath her. "We only have about 4 minutes until hypoxic brain damage sets in from lack of oxygen." Her voice was still shaking but she tried to compose herself. Maybe then they would take her seriously.

Her vulnerable brown eyes widened as she watched Chase give the obligatory nod to the nurse, telling her that she should do what she asked. Temporary relief flooded her as the nurse ran out of the room to grab the supplemental oxygen. She leaned down and began to do rescue breathing for the time being, pinching his nose and lowering her mouth onto his.

His lips were cold and chapped, tinged blue at the edges. Not warm and inviting like she remembered.

Alternating between the breathing and CPR Frances wiped the back of her hand across her forehead, her sweaty dark hair falling into her face. The process was strenuous, especially with only one doctor doing it. Usually another doctor would be helping her, but the only other ones in the room were staying at the back of it.

They knew it was hopeless. They had come to terms with it. Why she couldn't she had no idea. She knew Chase was only humoring her by telling the nurse to grab the oxygen. Maybe he hoped that giving in would shut her up. Still, none of that mattered. The only thing that mattered was him.

And here he was, lying on a hospital bed unable to breathe by himself.

The nurse rushed back into the room, her cheeks tinted pink from the run to get the oxygen. There was no supplemental oxygen in this patients room, he was deemed too terminal for it. He had even signed a DNR months prior to his hospitalization. The nurse put the cart by the bed and then walked out of the room as fast as she came.

Breaking the patient's DNR was essentially breaking the law. The new nurse obviously knew enough not to want anymore to do with this particular case.

After giving him a long breath, she looked at Taub and Chase and faltered. "I- I-" Her voice cracked. She took in an uneven gasp of air and shut her eyes closed, tears leaking out. She choked down a sob before continuing. "I need you to help me- I- I can't hook up the machine and continue to give him CPR and I- I just"

Finally giving in and stepping over to where she was, Taub rested his hand on her back. "I'll hook up the machine, you continue with the breathing."

There was no flood of relief this time. She was grateful to her coworker and her friend, but things were getting too intense for her to possibly relax. Thunder crashed outside and it sounded as though the sky was shattering. The sky was inky black, darker than usual even though it was past eleven. How suiting.

She nodded to Taub and went back to the breathing. His pulse was still there, she felt it faintly on his neck, but it was erratic. She resisted the urge to sob. Never before had she been like this, always with her patients she never got too attached. Her emotional reaction towards them leaning more towards indifference. Something that working under House had only accentuated. Yet here she was, trying her hardest not to breaking down and start wailing as she gave CPR.

Taub put a hand on her back once again and pulled her away from the patient. She was just about to protest when she saw him holding the oxygen mask in his hand. Her expression softened when he handed it to her. Only once is was in her hand did she realize she was shaking intensely. She took another deep breath trying to compose herself, but every time she did she was reminded of how he could not.

That thought sent her into overdrive, she rushed to put on the oxygen mask, fumbling with the straps the go over his ears. When it was finally on, her tense body visibly relaxed and her shoulders slouched. Still, she remained close to his bedside, not willing to leave. Taub had backed up and was now in line again with Chase. If the two men were talking she wouldn't have heard it. She was in her own world, consumed.

Frances noticed her hands were still shaking slightly as she ran her fingertips across the mask's straps. Her finger's wandered across the curve of his ear and brushed across his brown hair. He still had the same two subtle grey streaks on either side, like he did when they first met. She took this time to get a good look at him. His eyes were closed and thin brown eyelashes grazed his boyish cheeks. His face was thinner now, showing off the sharp bones of his cheek and jaw. She ran her fingers across the curve of his face and across his thin mustache.

God she hated that stupid mustache.

He gave a small cough and she thought she saw his eyes flicker behind their thin lids. Her head snapped up to look at his vitals.

It was then that her heart sank deep into her chest.

They hadn't gotten any better.

She had expected them to, especially once he was on the oxygen. Why she couldn't just accept reality she'd never know. Her mouth visibly curved downward when she checked his O2 stats.

They were only at 87. He was hypoxic. She was a pulmonologist, for Christ's sake. She of all people should know that there was only so much they could do if his oxygen percentage wasn't raising above 90 while on supplements.

Maybe she'd just wait. It hadn't even been that long since she and Taub had given it to him. Maybe they only had to wait a little longer.

Looking down she concentrated instead this time on the bed sheets. Inwardly she smiled at how he looked in his hospital gown. He looked like a child. She could almost pretend he wasn't sick. She nearly gave a tiny smile when it fell as she remembered his request to her.

He never wanted to be in a hospital. He hated the fluorescent light and the cold white tile. The thin bedsheets and glass walls of the patient rooms. It was the last thing he wanted.

Yet he was here, because of her.

She tried to look down even further, avoiding the gaze of his unopened eyes. She noticed either Taub's or Chase's feet walk closer to hers. She knew what they were going to do, tell her that they had tried their hardest. That there was nothing more they could do. They were going to spout to her the same crap they had all said numerous times to grieving family and friends. She knew not to believe any of it.

Just before she was going to object to each of their little speeches, they all heard the vitals machine give a beep. She looked up frantically. She knew all she had to do was wait. It wasn't time yet. They still had time together.

She glanced over at his O2 status.

86.

It had dropped.

Chase and Taub each stopped in their tracks. Neither having any idea what to say. They both were shocked in their own right. Maybe they had expected it to work just like she had. Maybe they had hope too, deep down.

"Thing is." She remembered House saying "hopes for sissies."

Her heart lurched inside her chest. This couldn't be happening.

Another beep. All heads jerked toward the monitor.

Another point lost.

85.

She wasn't going to let there be another. She reached out with insane speed, and pressed the button on the supplemental oxygen, increasing it to 100 percent.

It beeped again, he was up to 86.

Then another, down to 85.

A shot of adrenaline coursed through her veins. She reached over and grabbed the mask from his face. Pulling it off she heard a tiny gasp of air from his mouth. She began breathing for him again. Then giving him oxygen. Then breathing. Then more oxygen. She repeated the actions over and over like a mantra. She refused to give up. Not here, not now.

Her lips were on his, cold and completely blue now. Blowing air into his lungs and sending the precious oxygen he was lacking throughout his body. Her eyes glanced up at his vitals. Her face never leaving his.

His oxygen level was still at 85. Nothing was working.

House's words rang through her mind again.

"Get her out of her." She heard Chase tell Taub gently. She was so disoriented, his voice sounded distorted, as if he were miles away instead of a few feet. Her head began to spin. "I don't want her here when they call time of death."

Her stomach rolled, she was certain that she was going to throw up. She refused to face this. She wanted to curl up into a corner and cry. She wanted to yell and throw a fit. 'This isn't fair!' She wanted to scream. 'Why did this have to happen to him!' She wanted to yell, yell so loud that the entire universe would hear and have to answer for what they had done.

"Please" she heard herself croak. Her own voice sounded so oddly foreign. "Just please." Laced in her tone was defeat. She had no justification, no rationalization for why she should stay. She couldn't even think clearly let alone logically. How disappointed House would be if he saw this. She was an absolute mess. She rubbed her eyes and saw her mascara had run, black smears coating her face. Tears stained her cheeks as they rolled endlessly now from her eyes. They dripped down onto him and onto that stupid hospital gown.

She quit the breathing and placed the oxygen mask on him again one last time, for good. "Alright." She sighed looking Chase in the eyes. "I'm finished. At least just let me stay here."

He nodded silently, leaving the room. Frances sat down in the chair next to the bed. The chair that was reserved for the patient's loved ones. It seemed that that was all she was now. She had failed as a doctor. The last thing she could cling onto was that maybe she hadn't failed as a loved one.

She grabbed his hand and held it, turning it over to hold his palm against hers. Taub watched as she rubbed her thumb pack and forth against his smooth skin. He left the room too, without saying a word. There was nothing he could say, not right now. Maybe later. Not now.

She closed her eyes and observed the darkness the lids gave her. Trying to imagine what he saw behind his own. She imagined galaxies and stars and colors. He deserved to see colors.

He sure as hell didn't deserve this.

She wondered if his brain had begun to flood it's system with dopamine from the cerebral hypoxia. She sighed, the only sounds accompanying her in the room were the whirl of the oxygen machine and the steady but slow beeps of his heart.

It seemed stable now. Not that that would matter.

She heard more beeps, louder and more random. She assumed they were just heart palpitations. She didn't want to think about if they were his oxygen declining.

She didn't even fathom it was his oxygen increasing.

Till she looked up.

Seeing it at first, she thought maybe she was dreaming. She had gone without more than a few hours sleep at a time for a while. It would only make sense that she was sleep deprived and imagining things.

Till she heard him groan.

His eyes fluttered and she watched as the subtle breathing movements in his chest became fuller and deeper.

She burst into tears when she saw his O2 was up to 93.

She smiled and cried simultaneously. Experiencing more emotions in that single second than she felt she ever had in her entire life. She sobbed, a grin still plastered on her face. Then she laughed and laughed even harder. "James?" She whispered and when his eyes began to stir she held back a cry.

His eyes, oh his absolutely gorgeous, kind, emotion filled eyes, opened. He gave her a weak smile. She began to smile wider than she thought she possibly could, worried that the skin was about to tear around the edges.

"Hello." He whispered. His once velvety and smooth voice was scratchy and quiet. He gave a cough, speaking obviously taking a lot out of him. Yet she didn't let that deter her. Frances squeezed her grip on his hand tighter, elated when she felt him squeeze back.

"Hello." She replied softly her voice sounding utterly breathless. How ironic. He grasped her hand tighter as he gazed into her eyes. She felt her cheeks grow hot under his stare.

"Tell me." He said quoting her favorite movie with a cheeky smirk "however did we end up like this?"

She stared at him and began to chuckle. Not picturing a hospital bed where she had begun to prepare herself for his untimely death the place to quote cheesy romantic comedies. Her smile was so large now, she felt the corners of her eyes begin to crinkle. "Well, that's quite a long story." She replied.

"Oh, I don't mind listening." He said rubbing his thumb atop hers as his vitals gave another beep. His O2 went up again to 94. "I've got some time."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's the second chapter. It's the very beginning so there isn't**** much drama in it but just wait. Sorry it took so long, I have the entire plot worked out now so it will be easier for me to right up the chapters faster now. You reviewing really helps me to write quicker though, honestly. It makes me so happy to get even a single review and I want to thank you all who read or review or favorite or follow the story. Please tell me what you think! It means so much to me! Please review**

**Disclaimer: I don't own House, M.D. **

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Dr. Erin Frances MD had never felt more emotions in her entire life than she had in that single moment. She felt nervous, excited, apprehensive and just about every single thing in between. She tried not to make herself seem overly emotional, because in all honesty that just wasn't who she was. Her emotional composure and reputation of indifference proceeded her. It was what helped her remain professional and get the respect that she had worked so desperately to earn. It was her default to fall back on.

Regardless, the only thing she felt like could fall back on right now was the hospital's tile floors. She had never been so anxious about anything in her entire life. She had no idea what it was about working at Princeton Plainsboro that unnerved her so much, but she had a feeling it had to do with her soon to be boss being the greatest diagnostician in the country.

"Well if you're all set with the signing, I can go introduce you to Dr. House if you want." Foreman said standing up from behind his desk. Frances gave him a slight smile as she finished signing the paperwork in her quick messy scrawl. "I should warn you." He continued. "He's not really the most personable guy you'll meet, but he is a great doctor."

Frances smiled wryly at her, now officially, new boss. Well the boss of her actual boss. He was young and something about him made it seem that he hadn't been dean of medicine for very long, it was how seriously he held himself. Like he had something to prove. She felt like she'd enjoy him in those moments when he let his guard down, like he did while giving her tips on Dr. House.

She let out a low laugh and looked over at him through hooded eyelids. "Oh I've heard all about Dr. House's reputation." Her voice was deep and sultry and Foreman nodded giving a confident smirk as she stood up to walk with him.

Princeton Plainsboro teaching hospital had a certain charm about it, and as Dr. Foreman led her through it she decided that it's small size worked for it. It just felt welcoming. He showed her the clinic and the cafeteria along with the majority of the different wings and wards. She had even been introduced to some of the staff like the head nurse in the clinic and a few older doctors and surgeons. She exchanged casual greetings with all them before they went on their way.

It was when they finally got to the floor that held the diagnostics department that France started to feel nauseous from all her nerves. Taking a deep breath to try to relax, she observed the two joined offices through the glass.

She saw a short girl with bowl like black hair and an obviously attractive blonde man sitting next to her. Across the table from them was a shorter, older and more awkward looking man. Neither of these three, she assumed doctors, had noticed her or Foreman, as they were all looking in the opposite direction at a rugged, worn man sitting at the head of the table. Said man wore a dark blue blazer over what looked like an old Rolling Stones t-shirt and was tapping his long fingers rhythmically against the glass table surface.

She thought it was safe to guess that that was House.

Foreman gave her a reassuring look as he watched her look at her soon to be coworkers. She wondered if her face had given away her inner nervousness and tried her best to compose herself. She didn't want to appear so daunted, especially before meeting the people she would have to work with day in and day out. She regained her serious expression and looked up at Foreman.

"Lets go." Foreman said holding open the glass door for her and standing aside as she walked in first. She got a better view of the room, a sleek glass table in the center, comfy chairs under the window, a counter top with a new coffee machine and a white board that she now could see had medical terminology written on it with messy black penmanship.

As they stepped silently and without the attention of any of the doctors into the room, Frances heard the low scratchy voice of the man sitting at the head of the table.

"So how does a completely healthy teenager have a mini stroke?" The man, she now knew as House said. He too was looking down at something in his lap, but she guessed that it probably had nothing to do with the case, as House's red patient file was resting on the table unopened. His team was silent for a short moment when Frances, after receiving a look of confirmation from Foreman, spoke.

"Could be a cerebral aneurysm." She spoke and House raised his head and gazed at her with icy blue eyes, like he was challenging her. Now all the other members of the room turned to look at her and Foreman as well. Still Frances didn't look at any of them, as she was concentrating on proving herself to House. "An aneurysm could've caused a vasospasm and narrowed the blood vessels in the brain. Have you done a cerebral angiogram?"

Frances hadn't even realized how fast she had been talking until she was finished. The eyes of all the doctors still remained glued onto her, yet she still only made eye contact with House, waiting desperately for his reply. He had lifted his head slowly towards her at the first sound of her voice and hadn't broken his stare yet. She saw the left corner of his mouth raise up in a subtle smirk as he twirled a black marker through his long fingers.

"Head CT and cerebral angiogram were completely normal." His gruff voice told her after what felt like an eternity awaiting his response. "As well as the clotting factors."

There was only a small feeling of shame in her stomach, as it dipped at the sound of his voice. She had given a wrong answer, but he hadn't seemed to worried about it. He had to know that she hadn't even looked at the patient's file, and was only going off what she had overheard and what was written on the whiteboard. If she had known that the CT and CA were normal she wouldn't have suggested aneurysm. But that was the most logical diagnosis with the information she had, it's what countless other doctors would have checked first.

But countless other doctors had checked first, she reminded herself. Foreman explained to her that cases were given to House when other doctors had exhausted all their ideas. All those other doctors played it too safe and House was known to do the other extreme. He was also known to solve extraordinary cases. His methods seemed to work.

Her aneurysm idea had been too safe. She didn't want him to think that she was just like any other average doctor. She wasn't. She refused to let herself be.  
He didn't seem to have written her off just yet, for he still had a slight smirk on his face. Like something about her had impressed him, or at least taken his interest.

"Any other guesses?" House said now addressing the entire room. None of the other doctors responded, they were still all looking at her.

The oldest of House's fellows, with his awkward build and receding hair line spoke up first. "Um sorry." He said "But whose she?"

Frances had almost opened her mouth to introduce herself when House's blunt voice cut in before she had the chance.

"She's the new meat. Apparently really high grade A beef meat." House reclined in the head chair of the DDX table, his mouth twisted into a surly grin as he put his battered tennis shoes up on the table. His eyes were still trained on her as he answered his employee. She felt intimidated under his gaze and tried to resist the urge to look away and instead met his gaze with the same level of intensity. "Foreman over there is making me hire her and she's going to replace one of you."

Instinctively Frances looked to Foreman with a raised eyebrow. When the dean of medicine had first called her he had only told her that there was an opening in the diagnostics department. Not that someone would lose their job to make room for her. Shouldn't she feel bad? She assumed that these three doctors had been here a long time. It seemed unfair, and like something the boss would mention when he recruited her for employment.

The expression of Foreman's face baffled her even more. His dark features were contorted into more of a tired glower. Like he had had to deal with this sort of thing one too many times. Foreman wasn't taking House seriously, so neither would she. Standing silently her resolved faltered when she saw that his team was certainly taking his words as gospel. They hadn't even begun to hide their shocked expressions as all of their attention was refocused on House.

"I've got two kids and I've been here longer than Park!" The one who originally asked who she was practically shouted. Judging by the shocked and frankly offended expression on the girl across from him, Frances assumed she was Park. The oldest fellow looked slightly abashed at his outburst after seeing the girl's expression.

The blonde man on the other hand wasn't going to just look offended. He spoke harshly in a thick Australian accent. "Aye I've been here the longest." He defended "If times going to matter then-"

"None of it's going to matter." Foreman said beneath an exasperated sigh. "House isn't going to fire any of you. He's going to have four doctors on the team." The team visibly relaxed now that their job security was restored and looked over at her once more. "I'd like you all to meet Dr. Erin Frances." Foreman continued.

Stepping in front of Foreman the renown and admittedly attractive doctor gave a curt nod to her new coworkers and boss. She wore a white lab coat over her dark navy blue suit that hugged her tall yet slightly curvy frame nicely. Her eyes were a deep dark brown and a dimple appeared on her left cheek as she smiled.

"She had to stop by to finish signing some paperwork." Foreman explained. "And I gave her a tour of the hospital."

"It's nice to meet all of you." Her voice was deep and silky as she shook the hands of who she now knew as Taub, Chase and Park. They had each stood to welcome her and she responded graciously. House just sat in the same position, this time his jaw dropped in an exaggerated fashion as he looked his new fellow up and down ravenously.

"Especially you Dr. House." Frances said moving over to where he sat. Her voice was even lower. She extended a long hand and glanced down at him with a cheeky grin and heavy dark eyes. House turned his face closer to hers but his expression didn't change. He then looked over at Chase, Taub and Foreman and let out a large gasp of air.

"She really is hot." House gave an over exaggerated ironic laugh and shook his head up and down. His crystal blue eyes found hers again as he let out a snarky remark. "Good to know he wasn't lying for once."

She didn't know if Foreman looked embarrassed or if he had the same expression he had earlier in response to House's antics or what the reactions of the other male fellows were because she stared imposingly at her boss.

"Good to know that I'm appreciated for more than my intelligence for once." She gave a smirk and raised an eyebrow provocatively. She wasn't going to let his sarcasm and need to observe people's reactions to his ridiculous behavior get to her. Foreman had warned her after all. House's joking face became serious as if her reaction wasn't what he expected. He seemed to take note of it, enjoying when people surprised him, at least momentarily.

House got out of his chair and limped over towards Foreman. While he was sitting down Frances couldn't see his leg or his cane for that matter. Her sarcastic expression faltered and her smirk went back into a flat line. Her almond eyes widened slightly, just enough for House to notice.

House looked up at her as the entire room watched her reaction to his disability, and House's reaction to her reaction

Instead of the catastrophic reaction that everyone had expected, House just smirked as he walked over to his office connected to the one they were currently in. There had been an extra case file on his desk and after grabbing it and walking back to where the rest of the doctors were, House turned around again to look at Frances. "Don't worry about it." He said to her curtly his tone dismissive. Chase and Taub raised an eyebrow "All the babes love the handicap. Easier parking."

Sensing the ease in the mood, Frances, and the rest of the doctors in the room, inwardly relaxed. Taking a seat at the table next to Park, House handed her a case file. She composed her expression to one of indifference and she began to read the file House handed her. She was still feeling pretty much daunted from her lack of tact at seeing House's leg. She knew he was handicapped! Foreman had told her, when he first called to offer her the job. He had even explained all the effects his leg had on who he was as a person, and a doctor. She even knew about the Vicodin 'habit' from Foreman. Yet as soon as she saw it, she faltered. 'You're a doctor" she thought to herself. "You've seen and treated patients with handicaps all the time. Yet on your first day you have to go and be an idiot. Great."

"I expect you to work on this case and give Dr. Frances a warm welcome." Foreman said with a smile to her, which she returned graciously, before leaving the room.

Now in front of his white board, his back to all of his fellows, House began to write in a manly scrawl. "So besides an aneurysm what else causes a mini stroke in a kid who just found out he likes girls?" He asked diving right into the case, ignoring the warm welcome part of Foreman's request. Frances didn't seem to mind as she, looking down at the file, responded her voice faster than usual as she tried to redeem herself.

"Could be sickle-cell." Frances suggested looking up at the other doctors. Chase nodded and began to look through the file himself. Taub looked hesitant.

"The kid isn't black. I just took the history and the kids about as white and red headed as you can get." Taub rejected her idea, but still smiled awkwardly at her to let her know that it wasn't meant to be taken personally. "The chance of it being sickle cell is pretty low."

"Doesn't mean it's impossible." Frances retorted with a cheeky grin at Taub. House tapped his black marker against the white board when Park spoke up.

"Chances of it being sickle cell are low and there are other more likely things. Maybe an infection?" She suggested. Frances couldn't help but take the youngest female doctor's cold words personally. The tone in them was harsh and combative, as if she still believed they were vying for a position on House's team.

"Why are we ignoring giving Frances a warm welcome?" Chase said. He didn't seem the least bit worried with the case or the patient which struck Frances as odd. Foreman did say that some of the proceedings in the diagnostics were "unusual."

"Well, Dr. Frances, is there anything interesting that you want to tell us about yourself." House said turning around. He had the tone of a kindergarten teacher talking to her five year old students, and Frances didn't know whether to be upset that he was patronizing her or to just laugh. "Favorite color? Any brothers or sisters? Which doctor do you think is the most attractive in this room?"

"Everything's in the file pretty much." She said "But unprofessionally, I love dark chocolate, old movies and of course getting caught in the rain. Pina coladas aren't really my thing though."

Taub smirked and Park looked at her oddly. Chase just grinned as House let out a condescending snort.

"Well Dr. Chase, seems that the warm welcomes done. Unless you really want to postpone diagnosing this case some more, because in that case we can talk about who Taub seemed to have gotten in a fight according to the crumpled shirt."

Frances moved her head to look at the doctor now in question. He didn't seem so generically attractive as the other male doctor next to him. His receding hair line, kind eyes and the brightly colored diaper bag sitting next to him made him seem welcoming. Frances decided she would mostly likely like Taub, he seemed like someone she could get along well with.

Taub just glared up at House and tried to ignore him. "It's probably from my seat belt"

"Wrinkle patterns to varied. It looks like someone shoved you or grabbed you." House quipped back. France looked up at the senior doctor in surprise. She had heard all about his deductions when it came to medicine, he was after all the best diagnostician in the country, but she was shocked to see that they applied to simple day to day things as well.

Taub, who was obviously used to House's inflated assumptions, tried to ignore him even further. "Probably from the diaper bag. If the patients using drugs, cocaine could have caused an arterial spasm in his brain."

"Tox screen was clean." Chase's deep voice said across from Frances.

House seemed to ignore the talk about the patient, contrary to his prior yelling at Chase for not being focused enough, and continued with his analysis of Taub. "I'm gonna say it was the ex-girlfriend you cheated on, not the ex-wife you cheated with. If the latter was prone to violence. You'd have been scattered in various dumpsters years ago."

Seeing Frances' confused expression, House grinned wider. "Our lovely plastic surgeon here, has two lovely baby girls. Only they each have different mothers. One's the ex-wife and one's the ex-girlfriend. It's honestly very ironic."

Frances looked with wide eyes at Taub, who sighed and rolled his eyes, until she gave a slight smile. Trying to alleviate the uncomfortable feeling House wanted to create.

"Seriously? No one else wants to talk about the patient? New office furniture. Meaty topic." Taub said sarcastically

Chase pulled out his wallet and took out a bill, handing it to Taub "What's the deal with the ex-wife?"

Taub sighed and gave in. "It was Rachel's online boyfriend Phil. His company is moving to Portland and he wants me to change my visitation order so he can ask Rachel and my daughter to move out west with him. Things got kinda heated."

Watching the uncomfortable expression on Taub's face, as House tried to grab the money from Chase's hand, Frances decided to change the subject.

"The patient was punched in the groin, that could've triggered a massive sympathetic discharge." She suggested

"Maybe... but the carotid duplex was around normal." House replied not taking his eyes off Taub. Frances bit her lip and tapped her pencil against the table. 'Surely House had to know what was really wrong with the patient, or else how could he have shot me down so fast' she thought to herself 'and why else would he almost completely ignore the DDX if he didn't already have an idea.'

"Whose better qualified to be the daddy? The guy who spilled a little DNA in her gene pool or the guy whose gonna be there day and night to pass on important values like, not shtupping mommy after the divorce?" House continued berating Taub

"House has a point." Park spoke from beside her, she was so small and quiet that Frances has almost forgotten that she was there. "A couple nights a week with each kid may make you feel better. Doesn't replace two 'round-the-clock parents."

Frances silently huffed to herself, she was starting to get a feel for this environment with her boss and her co-workers. It seemed that nothing was off limits to talk about, especially if the person who instigated the conversation was House himself. She dropped her pencil on the table and looked up, meeting the gaze of the others.

"Well I completely disagree." She said, hoping she wasn't coming off too antagonistic "Being related biologically doesn't mean that Taub is going to be the best father, but it does mean that he gets the right to raise his own child. Parenting is impossible to not screw up. We don't even know Phil, doesn't it seem a little presumptuous to assume he'd be a great father, just because he's not Taub?"

"Exactly." Chase said "There's no way to not mess parenting up. Why not let Taub be the one to do it." Frances smiled over to him and Taub who gave an awkward and conflicted grin.

"Makes sense." House said "Park's tiger mom and dad were so insufferable she has to measure their affection in hours. Chase's careerist dad and alcoholic mom were so indifferent he has to believe it's a wash. Your turn, what did your parents do to screw up your view of parenting?"

Frances grinned sarcastically. She knew House would do this. Foreman had told her all about his incessant need to get to know the vulnerable and personal points of everyone, as if it made him feel superior and untouchable. She raised her a well trimmed eyebrow at House, taking in his piercing blue eyes, his scruffy beard and the band t-shirt hidden beneath his blazer. "Nothing you wouldn't expect." She quipped back

House stared back at her and gave a quick raise to the corner of his mouth. As if he was measuring inwardly just how his newest fellow operated. Neither of them noticed as Taub used this pause to get back into the medicine.

"Endocarditis." He said viewing the exchange between their boss and herself. It was like House was asserting his dominance through a staring match. It didn't even seem that House was listening when Taub added "Flipped a piece of vegetation into his brain which could have broken up before the angiogram."

"Tranesophageal echo to confirm." House replied finally taking his eyes off Frances, who had resorted to looking down at the file a minute or so earlier. House stood up to walk into his office as the rest of the team got up to go perform the test. Frances was last to leave when House stopped her.

"You seemed pretty cynical back there." He stated. "What's made you that way?"

She just looked him up and down, knowing that she didn't have to divulge anything to him. That he would be more likely to think her interesting if she gave him a puzzle.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out." She said before stepping out the glass doors and sprinting to meet up with her three other co-workers before getting into the elevator and really starting her first day at Princeton Plainsboro.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Chapter 3 is now up! Things are starting to get interesting! I really hope you like it and tell me what you think in a review! They mean the world to me so if you read it and you lliked it, hated it or just flat out loved it please let me know! I'll write the 4th chapter soon enough if I know that you all want me too!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own House, M.D.**

* * *

"Is this endocarditis thing treatable?" A rather snooty looking woman who had identified herself as the patient's mother asked. Her haughty voice and upturned nose gave Frances the impression that she obviously disapproved of something at this hospital, and from the small glares from her beady eyes Frances assumed she was the thing to be disapproved of. As if a young girl wasn't capable of anything other than being a statuesque model to look at. Frances bit the inside of her bottom lip and resisted the urge to say what was really on her mind. Which was something along the lines of 'No, actually it's terminal with no cure and thats why we're here treating it.'

Seeing Taub wheel the IV stand closer to the patients bed and reach in the drawer for the bag she decided that she should be the one to answer. That and she could practically feel the woman's eyes clawing into her back.

"Yes." There was no inflection in her voice, no sympathy, nothing to help comfort the parents of the patient. It was the worried look in the patient's eyes that reminded her that she needed to elaborate. That and she was almost certain Taub was looking at her too. "It's very treatable in fact." She continued making her voice softer, looking at the patient and taking mostly to him. "All we have to do is confirm it, the echo will show us if there are any growths on his heart valves. Then we treat with medicine. Surgery probably won't even be needed."

The father gave a smile and rubbed the shoulder of his wife, who was still looking sternly at both doctors in the room. Not knowing what else she could say to please the mom Frances directed her attention toward the kids vitals and put the sedative in the IV.

"We have to take your son to the procedure room now." She heard Taub say before grabbing one side of the hospital bed to wheel him off. When she looked up before leaving the patient room she saw the mother relaxed and smiling up at her husband.

* * *

"Okay open your mouth wide." She said watching as the teen did what she asked. She sprayed the antisethic in the back of his throat, not really giving him much of a warning. "Sorry." She apologized when he coughed. "Now if you could open your mouth again that'd be great." Once he did she placed the probe into his mouth and lowered it down into his esophogus. "Swallow." He did and she gave him a curt nod, allowing him to lay his head back down in the chair as she walked over to where Taub was sitting, monitoring the ECG.

Frances sat down and didn't say much to Taub, instead chosing to look at the heart monitor than at him. She tapped her fingers against her leg while she thought over the patients mother's reaction to Taub. She seemed to completely relax after Taub had spoken just a sentence to the woman but only go more agitated after her explanation. At the rate she was going she bet she'd probably end up beating House in the 'least personable in the diagnostics department' contest. She scoffed to herself, which got Taub's attention

"So." Taub said awkwardly breaking the silence. Frances turned to look at him and smiled. "Good job on the echo."

She gave a small laugh. "Well it wasn't my first. But thanks." She looked back over at the ECG and observed the spikes in the heart monitor. It was still too soon to get any conclusive test results.

There was a lull in the conversation that was leaning more towards being awkward than anything else when Taub spoke again, obviously trying to form some sort of relationship with her.

"Can I ask you a question?" His voice was fast and slightly nasal and looking over at his joking yet vulnerable expression she snorted. His face was open and made him look genuine but she could see a teasing smirk on the corner of his mouth that he was trying to hide.

She rolled her eyes and leaning back in her chair, putting her hands behind her head and raised an eyebrow at him. "Of course." She retorted.

"What's your favorite color?" He asked calling back House's snide joke from earlier His voice was quavering with awkwardness and welcoming. The corners of her lips tugged into a smug expression.

"Grey." She replied. "And before you ask any of House's other questions... I have one older sister and had no opinion about which doctor was the most attractive."

Taub gave a friendly chuckle and she could tell just by the way that he was slouching back in his chair that he felt more comfortable around her. The silence that now lay before them was agreeable. Well at least someone felt at ease around her.

"Can I ask you a question now then?" She asked and he looked up and nodded, most likely expecting it to be something lighthearted and joking like their previous conversation had been. "Do you find me impersonal?"

His face showed he was obviously taken aback by her question but after giving her a wide eyed looked with eyebrows raised he composed himself. "I don't think I've known you long enough to have an opinion. You seem nice enough to me now but-"

"I meant with the patient. Or more so his mother." She cut in, her low sultry voice taking fast. He gave her the same look he had when she first asked the question and then laughed.

"Well you seemed somewhat indifferent. But when you're working for House I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing." He replied. She nodded, hearing about her indifference wasn't something new. She knew that was just who she was. Why she felt somewhat concious about it now after that patients mother was beyond her.

"Or maybe you're not indifferent and you're as much of a sunshine as some of the clinic nurses. Maybe it was just with the kids mother. You seem to do well enough with the patient. So what is it, do you hate mothers? Do you hate your own mother?" Taub shot her a cheeky grin and she rolled her eyes. His attempt to lighten the mood had worked and she scoffed at him.

"Nice try, but I'm not going to suddenly tell either your or House some screwed up story about my family life to explain my opinion on parents, defending you might I add, earlier."

The ECG machine began to beep, slightly startiling the patient as well as both of the doctors sitting behind the glass wall. Frances got up and walked over to the machine Taub walking behind her as they both examined the print out.

"It's not endocarditis." She muttered and Taub nodded in agreement.

* * *

"So I heard you have a new doctor on your team." Wilson stated as he leaned against the nurses stand finishing writing up a chart. House had walked up to him in the clinic and just stared at him without saying a word. Wilson guessed that he had to initiate conversation and he did, with the first thing he thought of. It wasn't very big news around the hospital, but he had heard some of the nurses in the Oncology ward talking about House's new fellow.

"Yeah." House grimaced. "Foreman made me hire her, something about me needing more help. Good thing she's hot or I'd have protested more." He gave his best friend a sly look and wiggled his eyebrows provocatively. Wilson sighed.

"Glad to know that's the key attribute you look for in your doctors." The younger man said sarcastically, giving a pleasant nod to a clinic nurse as he and House stepped out into the main entrance of the hospital.

"I mean, if it's the main attribute you look for in your many wives, it should be good enough for me right." House retorted walking ahead of Wilson, toward the elevators.

Wilson rolled his eyes and glowered. "Those are two completely different things." He protested "And I didn't marry my wives just because they were hot."

House barked out a laugh and turned around to look at Wilson. "Riiiight." He said exaggerating and putting emphasis on the beginning of the word. "You married them for their wonderful personalities, and that's why they all worked out." Wilson just shook his head at House and walked faster to catch up with him.

A few feet from the elevator House let out a groan. Wilson looked to see what exactly had made his best friend wish he could run off in the other direction, when he saw the elevator doors open and two of House's fellows step out.

Wilson saw Taub, made eye contact with him and gave him an amiable nod of the head. Behind him was someone who Wilson didn't recognize. She stepped around Taub and looked at House, not taking the time to really notice him.

He definitely noticed her though. And for the first time in a while, House sure wasn't exaggerating. She sure was... attractive. She was tall, not as tall as him though, and thin with slight curves. Her hair was cut short, but still remained elegant and classy. She wore minimal make up, the only bit of it was a dark line across her eyelid. Her eyes were dark and almond shaped, and her mouth was plump and pouty. She looked young too, much to young to already have completed med school and her residency. Wilson hadn't even known he was staring, till he realized she was talking and he hadn't heard a single word.

Good thing she was only talking to House, and had still yet to really acknowledge him.

"It's not endocarditis." She stated, her voice deep and smooth. Good lord, he thought, even the woman's voice is attractive. No wonder House didn't have a problem keeping her, the woman could have been a complete idiot and any heterosexual man in his right mind would've hired her.

"Well what makes you think that?" He said sticking out his lower lip in a mock expression of sympathy. France just rolled her eyes and shoved some papers in House's free hand.

"Well besides that fact that it's not endocarditis, the echo makes me think that. Which Taub and I both agree on." Her tone was less harsh this time as she began to see House take her seriously.

"What did the echo show?" House asked, his voice gruff and serious in contrast to the jovial tone he had earlier when joking about Wilson's wives.

"The patients heart valves are normal." She replied quickly "But he has a thickened paracardium." She placed a hand on her hip as if challenging House to say that she did the echo wrong. Wilson inwardly smirked, this doctor certainly didn't seem like the type to just suffer through all of House's antics.

"Which makes no sense" Taub added. The other three doctors, turned to look at him. He gave a sheepish shrug, but House thought nothing more of his unnecessary outburst.

"It only makes no sense if it was endocarditis, which means it's not. Get everyone in the office." House said with a nod before walking off by himself, leaving Wilson alone with Taub and Frances. Taub gave a friendly smirk to Wilson before walking off, and Frances gave him an obligatory nod before catching up with her co worker.

Wilson stood still where he was, a bewildered expression on his face. He nervously rubbed the back of his neck. She was even more stunning looking directly at him. She certainly seemed unusual.

He hadn't even gotten her name.

* * *

Walking up the stairs to the Diagnostics department with Taub, she had gotten the idea that House liked to be alone in the elevator when he was quick to hit the close door button as soon as she and Taub approached it, Frances bit her lip. She wanted to ask him about the man that they saw with House, but she just didn't know how to approach it. It was a reasonable question, anyway, it's not like she wanted to know something deeply personal. That man was obviously her coworker, she had a right to know. And after the somewhat personal conversation the two of them had shared in the procedure room it didn't seem to presumptuous to ask an honest question.

"So. Who was that guy with House?" She asked, her tone was nonchalant and airy, contrary to the inner debate she had prior to asking.

"Oh that's Dr. Wilson, Head of Oncology. He's also House's best friend." Taub said as he opened the glass door to the outer office of Diagnostics and sat down. Frances nodded and thought more about a certain Dr. Wilson.

He seemed nice enough, but she didn't really get a good look at him. She was too busy trying to relay the information to House. It was still her first day after all and for some odd reason she felt like she had something to prove. Wilson obviously must be a good doctor if he was appointed Head of Oncology. Still, Taub had said that he was House's best friend, which obviously meant that there was something off about him.

She could barely imagine one House, it just seemed unfathomable to think that there were two. And in the same hospital.

Speaking of House, Francis watched as he sauntered into the office. She rolled her eyes as he went straight to his white board not saying a word to any of them.

She decided to break the silence, "We took the stairs and you took the elevator, how on earth did you get here after us?"

House gave a mock look as if he were appalled, his eyes wide, mouth open. "Cripple." He fake whispered, glancing down at his leg.

Frances just rolled her eyes as they began with the differential. She noticed that her only suggestions, and there were few, weren't up to par with her usual ones. They all had obvious flaws, that of course, House hadn't neglected to pick up on and point out. Chase was the one who eventually came to a logical diagnosis, after some very good attempts from Park and Taub. Frances felt embarrassed, she had been off to such a good start. It was because her mind was busy thinking about the doctor from earlier. Dr. Wilson. She had no clue why he interested her this much. All she knew was that it distracted her.

They had decided that it was Sjogrens and Taub and Park were sent down to treat with IV immunosuppresants. That meant that she and Chase were left doing whatever was leftover. Chase had been kind enough to let her choose what she wanted to do, his reasoning being that "Well since it's your first day and all you should get to pick your poison" and since she really wasn't in the mood to deal with whiny kids and overly worried mothers in the clinic, she opted to go run labs.

She had spent the remainder of the day running tests, she even worked through any meal deciding that she wasn't really that hungry anyway. While she was waiting for the results of one of her blood tests, she let her mind wander and tapped her fingers rhythmically against the metallic tables.

She had come to the conclusion that, so far, she liked it here at Princeston Plainsboro. It still was only her first day. House was a handful, but she respected him and was in awe of his intelligence. She liked most of her co-workers, Park was okay, Chase was nice enough but she slightly questioned his motives, and Taub was extremely helpful and friendly. The work was great and demanding, requiring a level of intelligence that she was honored to know that Foreman, and maybe even House, thought she possessed. It gave her something to do, since there wasn't really all that much going on in her personal life. It would keep her busy.

What she really couldn't get out of her head was that Dr. Wilson. He hadn't even said anything when she saw him and yet he was all she was thinking about. She had no idea why. She rationalized in her head that it was because she had nothing else to think about but truly he just struck her as interesting. She wished she had someone to really get information about him from, but there wasn't anyone she could really think of. And it was not like she was about to go ask House all about his best friend. She had only been working for the man for a day but had already picked up on his obsession with finding out everything personal about everyone and his tendency to over think things.

She could only imagine what he would say if she went up to him and asked for details about Dr. Wilson.

Maybe if she made a good friend here, they would know. She liked Taub well enough. Maybe there was a nurse somewhere she could become friends with. She had been awfully lonely since she moved here from Boston, the only things left to sustain her were her step mother's weekly phone calls, and those weren't exactly the most positive or exciting things she could be doing.

The blood tests were finished and didn't really show anything except a slight increase in white blood cells, but nothing to worry about. She checked her pager and saw that Park and Taub had said that the patient was stable, it seemed as though the treatment was working, and that they were about to head home for the day. She was assuming, by his late arrival habits that House would be gone by now too.

Gathering up her things in her purse and deciding to just take her lab coat home with her today, she hadn't been able to get a locker yet, she put all the equipment she'd been using away, recorded the results in the patient file and closed the door to the pathology lab. Looking down at her wrist she noticed it was almost 9 o'clock.

Walking over toward the elevators, she noticed another person waiting for them. She stood there silently, fidgeting with her purse strap, when the man looked over and recognized her.

"You're House's new doctor right?" He said and she looked up at him. It was Dr. Wilson. Slightly shocked to see him again after spending the majority of her day thinking about him, she faltered. It was the first time she had heard his voice and was stunned by how smooth and velvety it sounded. Getting a better look she observed that he was tall, in his early to mid forties, with short brown hair with two slight streaks of gray and the most gorgeous brown eyes she had seen.

"Yes." She replied, still in awe. "I'm Erin Frances. It's nice to actually meet you." She said hinting at their earlier encounter. Good lord what was she doing?

He gave a smile and though she didn't believe it was possible for him to become anymore attractive, he did. His smile was so absolutely honest and it revealed two deep dimples in his sightly rounded cheeks. His eyes were so caring and light. The man was just extremely handsome. He wore a long brown trench coat over his tanned suit and carried a dark leather briefcase. She smiled back at him.

"James Wilson." He said extending a hand. She shook it and was pleasantly surprised by how soft it was. It was a nice comparison to the rough calloused hands of ex-boyfriends she'd had and her father and uncles. Everything about this man screamed gentle and caring. This was House's best friend?

The door to the elevator opened and they both stepped inside. As they made casual conversation, she noticed how easy he was to talk to. It was like words just flowed out of her while in conversation with this man.

"So you're head of oncology? You must be a very good doctor then." She asked, she didn't want this conversation to end, so she tried her best to make it continue. Usually it was just her instinct to say what was necessary and then stop. Only replying when the other person asked something. This was different. 'Christ, get a grip' she thought to herself.

He looked down slightly and smiled shyly at her. The mans even humble, she thought, is there nothing wrong with him?

"Yes, I am and well thank you, I mean it's a good job, I'm honored to have it." She nodded and listened intently as he continued. "Working for House in diagnostics isn't easy work either. You'd have to be an excellent doctor to deal with those types of cases. Did you have a good first day?"

She beamed, yet rolled her eyes at his compliment, to show him that she didn't take him too seriously. She was pleasantly taken aback by how he talked her as if he had known her for years. She felt so comfortable around him.

He's so caring and welcoming, no wonder the mans an oncologist. He probably tells people they have cancer and they thank him. She resisted her trademark scoff.

"It was good." She replied still hesitant when she realized she should probably add more "The works great, and all the people in this hospital seem incredibly welcoming." She looked up at him while she said this, hoping to portray the message that he specifically was welcoming. He smiled as if he got her underlying message. "Besides House of course." She added with a snicker to lighten the mood.

He laughed heartily and the skin around his eyes crinkled as his eyes shimmered. "Well House is just House. You'll get used to him I'm sure."

After that they talked about her patient mostly, since he had overheard about the endocarditis misdiagnosis. He seemed so enthralled with her stories of blood tests and immunosuppressants. Maybe it was because he was a doctor and he understood, but it was a nice change from talking to her family about anything remotely medical and having them be bored senseless.

Stepping out of the elevator and onto the main floor, they continued to chat and walk together in stride. They reached the front doors when he asked her where her car was at. "I can walk you there if you'd like." He said with a sheepish curve to his mouth. She shrugged her shoulders while she looked over to him.

"That's okay, my cars still in Boston so I took a cab. I can get one right here, so you don't have to worry." She surprised herself by how cheery her tone sounded, she had only just met the man and yet felt so at ease around him, like they'd been good friends for years instead of just being introduced today.

He gave her another characteristic Wilson smile and nodded his head. "Okay, it was really nice talking with you." She nodded her head in agreement.

"Likewise." She replied, calling down a cab and opening the door. She waved to him as he began to walk off. "Have a nice night!" She called. Good lord where did that come from. That certainly didn't sound at all like her, usually she was annoyingly aloof and sarcastic. She felt strangely out of character.

"You too." He replied before walking off to his own car. The cab began to drive away from the hospital when she leaned her head against the cool glass of the car window.

God, if she couldn't get him off her mind before. She doubted that there'd be anyway she could now.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Chapter 4 is now up. If you want me to continue and write and post chapter 5 soon please take the time to leave me a review. It really means a lot to me and I know that I get sort of discouraged when no one really seems to review, so please tell me what you think! It means the world!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own House, M.D.**

* * *

It had been a few days since her first day at Princeton Plainsboro and it had been a few days since her conversation with Wilson.

She had finally started to get settled in nicely. She had her own apartment and it was the most independent she'd felt in a while.

Frances woke up and got out of bed. Running a brush through her shoulder length black hair and buttoning up a grey dress shirt, she opened her bedroom door and walked out into her living room.

"Gooood morning." She muttered sarcastically to herself as she began to make her morning coffee. The coffee pot brewed loudly in the corner of her small kitchen as she looked outside. Her apartment was in the heart of town, making up for the ridiculously small size of it. It was also very close to the hospital which was the only thing she really cared about.

She didn't really have any need for a big place. She didn't entertain, she'd left all her family and close friends in Boston, or one of the many other places she'd lived, so that wasn't a problem. Her work hours also meant that she didn't spend a lot of time at home either, other than to sleep.

Sometimes she didn't even do that. The diagnostics chairs weren't as uncomfortable as one would think.

Plus she usually opted to take the night shifts when they had a patient. She assumed that everyone else had someone to get home to, besides House of course. It wasn't an inconvenience to her. It seemed selfless but if she was being completely honest with herself she knew it was because she preferred to be alone. She just worked better that way.

Her apartment struck her as bland, which was something she tried not to think of herself as. All the walls were painted a generically plain white and her furniture was years old, scuffed up and worn from accompanying her on all her various moves. The only thing that really gave the place the impression that someone lived there was her various books, medical and not, scattered across floor to ceiling bookshelves and on her little coffee table. The two pictures one of a young Frances and her family and one of two teenage girls linked arm in arm, were the only sentimental pieces.

The coffee pot beeped and she walked over to it, after slipping on her black wedge heels. Pouring the thick black liquid into a plain white mug Frances sat down on her couch, she didn't have a dining room or a dining table. While drinking the bitter black coffee she reflected on her new life.

She was happy about her decision to move to Princeton. It was something she was unsure of originally when Foreman first called her, telling her that he had heard all about her work at Mayo and was very impressed. She was shocked when he told her that he wanted to offer her a job in his Diagnostics department. It wasn't too much of a change to move. She'd stayed in Boston for pre-med then went to Baltimore for med school at John Hopkins and then again to Minnesota to do her internship at the Mayo Clinic. Moving again to Princeton wasn't something drastic.

She didn't really get close to a lot of people during her various moves, just leaving the odd friend here and there. Her family wasn't that big of a deal, though her step-mother and sister called her incessantly to complain about never seeing her. It wasn't something that Frances regretted. She hoped to stay in Princeton for a while and hopefully maybe even develop some lasting relationships along the way.

She decided this would be good for her, she wasn't necessarily happy, but she was content.

And she could handle that.

She placed her empty coffee cup in the sink, deciding to leave it there till she got home from work tonight. She grabbed her bag from her bedroom after putting on minimal amounts of dark eye make up and headed off to work.

She still hadn't gotten her car sent in from Baltimore yet. So she stood at the bus stop on the corner and held her arms close to her body. It was a cold late October day in New Jersey and she didn't have the common sense to bring a sweater. She knew without even having to look that her normally tanned skin was dusted pink from the chill of the wind.

After waiting 5 minutes for the bus and then another 10 to get to the hospital, Frances finally walked in the doors of her new work. It was warm inside and she let out a sigh, her breath visible in the freezing air.

She walked inside, slipping on her white lab coat as she returned the courteous nods from some of the staff that had begun to recognize her. She was becoming to feel more welcomed at the hospital as the days went on and people began to remember her. There was even a male nurse who asked her out for drinks a few days earlier. She had declined of course, telling him graciously that she had a lot of work to do.

Truthfully she hadn't had anything to do and left the hospital ten minutes later. Alone.

Oddly, thinking about the male nurse with his bronzed skin, blue eyes and young face had her thinking about Wilson. Sometimes she truly hated her subconcious. Over the past few days she hadn't really had any contact with him. They passed in the hallways a few times and he gave her a friendly smile as they went their separate ways. That was it. Nothing more nothing less.

Riding up in the elevator on her way to the diagnostics office that morning she realized she hadn't heard his voice since their conversation last week.

'God I really need to stop obsessing over someone I have barely just met.' She thought inwardly scolding herself.

She shrugged her shoulder to keep her bag up as she walked over to the office. Things had gotten better here, she felt relaxed around her coworkers. They all got along well. Entering the room she saw them all lounging at the table, Chase with his feet up, Taub flipping through a magazine and Park nervously taking notes on something. She assumed that their patient was stable for the moment. During the night Taub noticed that patient had a nose bleed and began bleeding from his mouth, indicated that they were wrong about Sjogrens. After a emergency differental at 1 am, only including House by telephone, they had all decided it was most likely aplastic anemia, her diagnosis, and that the kid needed a bone marrow transplant. She was proud of her diagnosis, a diagnosis she had only discovered while seeing the low white cell count earlier that day.

She was shocked to see that House was already there that early in the morning. Looking down to check her watch Frances saw it was 9 am. Raising her head again to make a snarky remark about House's unusual early appearance she was even more shocked to see Wilson standing next to him.

House had a sour scowl on his face, obviously displeased with whatever Wilson was telling him. Not having any idea what they were talking about exactly, since they seemed to stop when she came in, she sat down looking at both men.

Wilson noticed her entrance and smiled in greeting. "Hello Frances." He said casually. She hadn't even known how much she had missed the sound of his voice, until she heard it again. And after only one conversation with the man...

"Good morning Wilson." She replied just as casually, but she could feel herself practically beaming up at the man. An expression, which she was silently pleased he returned. She could have sworn she saw Taub give her an odd look, a happy greeting and disposition obviously unusual for her.

"Well, I can't just give up those tickets." Wilson continued his attention now back on House, who grunted. Frances noticed how his voice seemed even more velvety and gruff as he talked to her boss. "They're ringside!"

The excitement and desperation in his voice made him sound like a child begging for a new toy, she tried to hide her amusement.

House glared at Wilson who was heading towards the door.

Frances began to unpack all her things from her bag, laying them out on the table and pretending to pay attention to one of the articles she had in front of her. When really she was still focused on the two men, technically her superiors, arguing in the room.

At least she tried to be discrete about it, Chase and Taub were looking straight at them, gawking and listening to every word of their evidently interesting argument.

Wilson gave House a narrowed expression as the oncologist headed toward the door. He grabbed the handle with one hand, his body still facing the diagnostics office, and pointed at House steadily while walking out the door.

"I'm going to that game." Wilson said not breaking eye contact with House as he walked backwards through the hall, his finger still pointed toward House. She was surprised he didn't run into anyone, or anything. They were honestly such children.

House rubbed his leg, the emotional effect of his conversation with Wilson probably accentuating his pain, before sulking back into the office. He hadn't said a word to any of them since she got here. It seemed to be some sort of trend with House.

"So the patients still stable I assume?" Frances asked. Taub nodded and Chase scoffed looking over at her then down at his clinic paperwork.

"Yeah." He said in his thick Australian accent. "For now. But the mother's bone marrow was a slim match and she refuses to call the kid's biological fathr."

"I'm planning on looking more in the registry later." Taub added not bothering to look up from his magazine as he did so.

"Chances of finding a 5/6 match in the registry are low. His own mother only had 3/6. And it's not like House is going to be any help getting her to contact th father, since he's in such a bad mood." Park retorted from beside her, France looked over at her and hummed to herself.

"Speaking of which." She said in her low, emotion free voice. Her white teeth discretely grazed over her bottom lip as she pondered how to word her question. "What were Wilson and House talking about that made him so mad exactly?" She thought she felt Taub's eyes look up at her not so subtle mention of Wilson. She was sure she was just imagining things. Taub didn't even seem to be paying attention anyway. It was Chase who answered.

"A patient of Wilson's gave him two ring side seats to some highly anticipated boxing match this weekend. Wilson said he couldn't just give them up and House can't go because of his tether." Chase explained, Frances widened her eyes and gave a nod of her head. "Which accounts for him being pissier than usual." He muttered under his breath. Frances held in a snort.

"Don't forget about the fact that Wilson and House had plans to hang out and watch said boxing game Saturday night together." Park chimed in. Frances was slightly taken aback, the way Park explained it, it almost seemed as though House had a valid reason for being upset. And that Wilson was at fault. She didn't expect that to happen. Not that it was any of her business. Both men were nothing more than her boss and her bosses best friend. She didn't know why she had to keep reminding herself of that obvious fact.

"Do you all really have nothing better to do than gossip about House and Wilson." Taub said putting down his magazine and looking at them all with an accusing face.

"Says the person reading this months issue of People." Chase quipped back under his breath. Park snorted at his joke, quick to hide her smile once she saw Taub's face.

"And how do you know that anyway?" Taub asked his attention now on Park. She blushed and began to stumble over her worlds, obviously still conscious about what her co-workers thought of her.

"I overheard them, they were talking about it once they got out of the elevator a couple days ago and I happened to be walking behind them- Not that I was following them or anything, it just happened like that. Kinda crazy- well not really when you think about it since we all work in the same hospital on the same floor I just-" Park stopped, her mouth going 70 miles per hour the last second and completely stopping the next. Sensing her awkwardness Frances stepped in.

"Either way." She said stopping Park before she dug herself deeper into her hole. Frances voice was low and gave the impression of disinterest as she read over some clinic patient files, not bothering to look up as she stated her opinion. "It seems like a pretty unfair thing to do on Wilson's part. He could just give the tickets to someone else if he felt bad about it."

Taub definitely raised an eyebrow this time. "You disapprove?" He questioned. She looked up from her charts and at Taub. Out of all of her fellow coworkers it was Taub who she felt the most comfortable around. He was also the one who seemed to be able to read through her expressions the most, besides House of course.

"Well, sure. He made a commitment, he should have the maturity to stick to it." She found it odd that they were suddenly directing the conversation from House's mood to Wilson's maturity, but Frances found that she didn't really mind. She never got involved in the personal life of her 'friends' in all the other places she'd lived, why now was she gossiping like a high school girl? Especially about someone she had no business being interested in. She was interested.

"The mans a drug addict and a felon. Wilson is the only thing he has, and House always makes sure to constantly rely on and need him. The mans a saint for putting up with everything House does. I'd have given up years ago." Chase defended.

Frances had just opened her mouth to reply when House came hobbling out of his office. She closed it when she saw his sordid expression.

"If you're all just going to sit here and talk about me and Wilson, at least talk about our sex life." House sneered sarcastically, the bitter tone to his voice not doing anything to stop accentuating the rather decrepit look the man had today. "Much more interesting."

All four doctors observed House as he walked to the door. "Someone find the kid a bone marrow match. I don't care if Mommy has to face seeing Daddy after their divorce. I'll be in the clinic."

* * *

Taub and Park went to the registry to look for any bone marrow matches while Chases tended to the patient and tried, subtly yet desperately to get the mother to give them information about the patients father. She hoped that Chase didn't neglect to mention that if she didn't her teenage son would most likely end up dead. That meant that that left Frances to go work hours in the clinic. Oddly House wasn't anywhere near the clinic like he had said, she just presumed that he had lied and was in a patients room watching cable TV.

She signed in under Dr. House and made her way into one of the patient rooms. Honesty this had to be her least favorite part of her job, it was all just so boring. Nothing interesting had happened so far today. She dealt with a baby with a diaper rash and an overly worried mother, two kids who had a cold and an old man complaining of not being able to see clearly. She bitterly told him he needed glasses and he responded by pulling out a pair and telling her that the prescription in them was old. She replied that 'Sorry sir, the free clinic cannot give you a new prescription for your glasses'. He glared at her on his way out.

Opening the door to patient room 3, she glanced down at the chart. A 23 year old male complaining of chest pains. At least this seemed promising. She was at the point where she was just about ready to admit anyone who sneezed as long as it got her out of this clinic. She adjusted her coat before opening the door. "Hello you must be Mr. Jacobs-"She dropped her extended hand when she saw that the patient was already sitting on the table, being examined by another doctor.

Said other doctor turned at the sound of her voice and she gave an apologetic smile that turned into a circle of shock when she saw who it was. Of course it was Wilson. It now made sense why House was no where near the clinic since Wilson was here. "Oh I'm sorry to interrupt. The patient file was in the not yet addressed pile. My mistake." She said with a nod to the patient, who looked oddly embarrassed to be walked in on, by a young female doctor, with his shirt off.

Wilson smiled compassionately at her as he removed his stethoscope from the patients chest. "Oh it's completely fine Doctor- House..." He said squinting down at the name on her lab coat. He gave a knowing smile and turned back to his patient.

"Everything looks good and the EKG showed no abnormalities. Probably just a minor heart palpitation induced by the vigorous and ahem excessive exercise you were telling me about." Wilson said, his voice was gentle and immediately calming. She even felt herself begin to relax at the sound.

"Unless of course, you want a second opinion from Dr. House here." He said looking directly at her yet continuing his conversation with the patient. His eyes twinkled as he smirked at her. She saw the patient look at her with wide eyes, obviously intimidated by something about her. He gave a small shake of his head when Wilson looked back at him.

"I'm sure you'll be fine." She reassured the patient. Her eyes too were focused on the milky brown of her colleague in front of her, instead of the young patient to whom she was speaking. She never said things like that usually to patients, she seemed to lack the ability to be able to comfort them well. "Dr. Wilson is one of this hospital's best doctors. I'm positive his medical opinion is sound."

Wilson gave a quirky grin in her direction as the patient grabbed his coat and left the room. Frances looked down and handed Wilson the red patient file. "You'll be needing this I suppose."

He took it from her graciously, quickly jotting down his notes, as they walked out of the patient room together. He handed it to the clinic nurse and they continued to walk together in stride.

"I've finished my clinic hours for the day and it's almost noon. Do you wanna go to the cafeteria and grab a bite?" He asked her, she nodded and he smiled as they walked together through the hospital.

* * *

"Just the turkey sandwich and the small water." Frances told the woman at the register, she gave the cashier an awkward grimance when she noticed that her voice was somewhat harsh and lacked inflection. Wilson was standing right next to her in line, holding his own tray with a salami and Swiss cheese sandwich and fries. He stepped closer to her and put his tray on the register as well.

"We're together." He said and she felt a small tingling at those words. God knows why. Every since she had come here she hadn't been her usual self. He spoke quietly just to her. "Don't worry I've got this."

"Wilson, it's fine really." She protested, she didn't want to let him pay. They were just acquaintances, barely even friends and she actually was independent. She wasn't just going to let him pay for her. "I might have been wearing House's jacket but that doesn't mean I'm going to mooch food off of you too." She mumbled sarcastically.

"You're not House." He countered handing the money to the lady before she could put up more of a fight. "Which is precisely why I'm treating you to lunch. At the very prestigious La Princeton Cafe no less"

She sighed as they each took their food and found a table near the back corner of the cafeteria. She wasn't going to let this bother her, the opposite, he just did a friendly gesture for a coworker. "Oh that sounds fancy." She joked her voice low and sardonic. Little to no inflection in her already low voice made her cynical comedy that much more humorous."Is it french?"

He laughed taking a bite of his sandwich, she resisted the urge to chuckle at the image of him trying not to laugh while eating. He had a boyish grin when he replied. "Actually it's just called the Princeton Plainsboro Cafeteria, but don't tell anyone."

She gave a sly smile and took a bite of her lunch. "Your secrets safe with me Wilson." She was out of her element here, making small talk and jokes but she found it wasn't difficult. The man just had a quality, he was easy to talk to.

"So tell me." He said, she raised an eyebrow and leaned instinctively closer to him across the table. "How are you liking the hospital so far, now that you've been here almost- a full week right?"

She nodded as she spoke "Yeah it's great honestly. Diagnostics is always interesting and busy. I love the late nights and the fast pace of it all. I do miss having recurring long term patients a little."

He nodded as he understood completely. "I guess that's one of the benefits to Oncology, you have to develop lasting relationships with the patients since their illness and treatment is so long term." He voice was slightly bittersweet as he said this and she felt slightly unsure of what to say. The familiar feeling of awkward silence overwhelmed her, well she was certainly starting to feel more like herself now that she was at a loss of how to respond.

"That must be part of what makes it so rewarding." She went with "I know I could never handle the emotional pressure of it. Maybe that's what makes working for House so suiting." Her expression went from it's usual serious default to slightly surprised. He hadn't seemed to have noticed as he continued to look at her intensely, taking a bite of his sandwich and wiping his chin with a paper white napkin. Why was she telling him all of this? These deep emotional things that she wouldn't even tell her best friend or her family. She barely knew the man.

Her gave her another compassionate grin "What we both do effects people immensely. They're not so different. I'm sure you'd be great at both. If you can deal with House then I'm almost certain you can do anything."

She chuckled at the lightened mood "Yeah well if we measure how well we do thing based on how well we deal with House, then I'm not sure there isn't anything you wouldn't be able to do."

He laughed in return and picked up a fry and twirled it around his fingers, a scheming grin appearing on his face. "Want a fry?" He asked, holding it out to her. She felt the mood of the conversation turn more toward the joking wit she could handle. Her eyebrows raised in a sly look of questioning, before taking the fry from his hand. She overexaggeratedly examined the fry making both of them grin, trying to hold in their own laughter.

"Hmmm. I might take you up on your offer Wilson." She quipped back, looking closer at the fry while he picked up his own from his plate and ate it.

"Come on." He joked back. "It's French."

They both laughed and finished their meals when Frances saw Taub and Park running over to her.

"Finally we found you!" Park said putting her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. Frances and Wilson were both confused and it was apparent on their faces. "What are you doing here anyway?" Park asked once she composed herself.

"I didn't realize the cafeteria was such an obscure place to look for me." Frances retorted back.

"That doesn't matter." Taub said in a hurried tone. "The patient's blood pressure dropped so we gave him the best donor platelets we could find. 4 out of 6. That's when Chase paged and said he had an allergic reaction."

She nodded and stood up, grabbing her empty plate and setting it down atop the garbage container. "Thanks for lunch Wilson." He gave her a casual smile as he got up too.

"Anytime." He replied, Taub and Park stood looking at her waiting for her to come with them. Shooting one last friendly glance at Wilson she started fast walking with her coworkers.

"Lets go tell House." Taub said as both the girls nodded.

* * *

**Please review! Thank you for reading! **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thanks so much to all my lovely readers and reviewers! I love you guys! Here's the next chapter, I really hope you like it. I have the entire story plotted out so I'm really excited to start getting deeper into it. Please review if you want me to write more!**

**Disclaimer: Wouldn't it be nice if I owned Wilson? But alas, I do not own House, M.D.**

* * *

Sitting exasperatedly in what has now been unofficially designated as her chair in the office, Frances ran her hand through her thick ebony hair. They had gotten his reaction under control and the patient was stable. Frances and Taub stayed the night to watch over him and since it was the next morning they were in the Diagnostics office for the differential. When she, Taub and Park first came rushing in to tell House about the patient after lunch she seemed to be the only one surprised about his lack of his reaction. He was acting as if he expected this to happen. Like he had known all along that it wasn't aplastic anemia and that he knew the bone marrow transplant would never work.

Her eyelids were heavy and it wasn't the first time she felt them closing as she listened to House's nonsense. She took another sip of her black coffee desperately hoping the caffeine would keep her awake. She felt frustrated and exhausted from the lack of sleep. She may be mostly indifferent but at least she tried to do what was best for the patient and try to help them. Unlike House, who only seemed to care about his stupid trivial desires, like making people feel lesser than him, and going to that stupid boxing match.

"I'm not going to tell you about my parents House just because you're curious." Frances glowered at her boss. He seemed to be in a better mood than he was earlier, one might even go as far as to say that House was in a good mood. Well as good of a mood as House could be in. Frances was sure it had something to do with the patient showing new symptoms and an allergic reaction to the donor bone marrow. The fact their, or now rather her diagnosis as House now pointed out, of aplastic anemia was wrong helped too. The wrong diagnosis meant that there was still a puzzle and Frances was starting to realize just how much her boss lived for puzzles.

"This whole case has a pretty parental feel about it though." House responded, his voice was slow and casual, not at all worried about the patient. Frances rolled her eyes, she honestly felt like telling him that she was little orphan Annie as long it would shut him up. "All the drama going on with Taub's kids, and whatever is going on between our patient's mother and father. You might as well just tell us Frances. How'd your parents screw you up." House sneered at her from his position leaning against the whiteboard.

"I'm not screwed up." She said tartly, deciding not to indulge him, to which House replied with a mocking 'Yeah riight.' She shot him a glare from her seat before turning back around to face her coworkers."The patient developed a pleural effusion so Park and I assumed he was bleeding into his lungs. But when I put the needle into his pleural cavity all that came out was yellow fluid. His liver is also failing and his eyes are becoming slightly jaundiced."

"Not interesting. Liver failure explains all the kid's symptoms." House quipped back. She raised a brow at him and gave him an skeptical look. Liver failure wasn't a diagnosis. House obviously knew that. Why did he keep trying to change the subject? "What is interesting is Frances and Wilson's little lunch date yesterday."

House had a wicked grin and Frances watched as Chase formed an amused expression and looked at her with slight surprise. She doubted that Chase's expression even compared to the initial look of shock she had, before quickly composing it."Can't trust Taub to keep a secret." House revealed to her knowingly. The look of betrayal directed to House on Taub's face would have made Frances snort out her laughter on any other occasion but currently she didn't find it amusing.

"Our patients liver is failing and we have no idea what's causing it and we're just going to sit here and make up events in my social life?" Frances retorted. She was determined not to let House get to her, she knew that that was what he wanted. "And seriously?" She said directly at Taub. "Wasn't it you who was lecturing us all on the trivial nature of gossiping earlier?"

"She's right." Park said. "It's kinda hypocritical."

"Still. She didn't deny it was a lunch date." Chase chimed in, a cheeky grin identical to House's on his face. Frances rolled her eyes at all the men in the room. Frances felt oddly violated and vulnerable, something that made her feel uncomfortable and scared. She was and always had been a private person and liked to keep her business to herself. She had the urge to take the knowledge of her and Wilson's lunch and clutch it tightly to her chest, so that no one else would have any awareness of it. Like it was something personal and intimate rather than what it really was, just a lunch with a coworker.

"Can someone explain to me how that even is a date?" She asked, to both the doctors in the room and slightly to the tugging part of her that dared to think of it as something more. "We were both working in the clinic, finished at the same time and decided to go to the cafeteria and eat lunch. It was a lunch between coworkers that literally lasted fifteen minutes. If anyone else was working in the clinic instead of me and ran into Wilson he'd have eaten lunch with them just the same." She purposely left out the part where he insisted on buying her lunch for her, not sure if he would've done that if it really had been any of the others in the clinic instead. Her hair falling into her face as she looked down at her case notes, wanting desperately for this conversation to end.

House just looked at her somewhat seriously for a minute before he counted with a characteristic comment. "You may have seen it as just a lunch between colleagues but there's a reason this hospital calls Wilson the panty peeler.'"

Frances looked up and was surprised to see both Chase and Taub smirking at House's remark. He couldn't be serious, House was never serious. Wilson as a womanizer? He certainly didn't peg her as the type, he wasn't like Chase. But truly what did she know about the man. She decided to not show her conflict about Wilson's reputation or lack of and just respond in her usual dry sarcasm.

"Oh right I'm so sure. Watch out for our next 'lunch date'." She said with air quotations, her voice dripping with irony. If House was going to mock her instead of doing his job then she was going to do just that too. "If I go under the table to grab my fork that I say I dropped just know it's all a front."

Chase laughed across the table from her and she rolled her eyes, a slight smile on her face at his appreciation of her crude joke. "Well, I don't think that any of us would've done that had we been eating with him instead."

"Oh is that what's this about?" She heard Park say. "House is jealous that he and Wilson aren't talking because of the fight over the tickets so he has to rationalize it as just Wilson putting the moves on Frances instead of the likely possibility Wilson just wanted to talk to her instead of him."

"It's not about the tickets anymore. Because I've found a way to get Foreman to let me go." House smirked.

"How?" Taub asked.

"Hello. Patient with liver failure over here." Frances muttered waving the patient file in her hands.

"I pretended to be a speaker at a Rheumatology conference in Atlantic City, canceled and then suggested myself instead. Now the organizer of the conference will call Foreman and ask if I'd be so gracious enough to attend, and after negotiating some clinic hours deducted and pay undeducted I'll begrudging agree to go to the conference. Which happens to be right where the boxing match is taking place." He explained with a triumphant look on his face.

"That'll never work." Park stated.

"Yeah have fun trying to outsmart Foreman." Chase replied but there was a hint of admiration in his face, like regardless of if he thought it would work he was still impressed by House's complicated plan. "And it's not an infection. We tried antibiotics but he isn't responding."

"The patients liver could be failing because it's unable to process toxins. It's a hyperammonemic problem. His liver isn't able to clean his blood and the build up of toxins is causing all the symptoms." Frances suggested trying to get back on topic of the patient and get away from whatever they would end up talking about next.

"Could be that the liver isn't able to synthesize proteins." Taub debated. "So the fluid is leaking into his blood vessels."

"Can't treat for both." Chase said "One requires hemodialysis and the other a new liver and we couldn't even find the kid a marrow transplant."

"Toxins is more likely." Frances said and Park nodded her head in agreement.

"Pump him full of protein, if it's synthetic more fluid will build up in his lungs and the kid's heart will fail." House said checking his pager when it beeped. "It's Foreman, I've got a feeling he wants to talk to me about my need for more public appearances."

"If it's hyerammonemic he'll go into a coma and probably never come out if we can't fix the problem that you're delaying by doing this protein test in the first place. You're just trying to screw with me." Frances said her voice raising an octave and becoming louder.

"Sure I am. Now gotta go." He said.

* * *

Frances usually got along fine with everyone, she didn't get into arguments or even involved with any of her coworkers back at Mayo. She did her thing and everyone else did theirs. People had even classified her as distant, unattainable, aloof and apathetic. Her lack of desire and lack of caring about the other doctors there meant that she didn't really get angry or stressed or frustrated with the things that happened at her work.

Right now, she was feeling all of those things, and more.

House's idea was risky, it was dangerous and it was stupid. Deep down a part of her guessed that maybe he was so adamantly going against her idea just because he was upset Wilson spent time with her while he wasn't talking to him. It could have just as easily been that her last diagnosis was wrong but toxins is more likely, not that House was known to put patient safety and well being before his own wants. He was going to end up killing this kid just to be immature and keep his reputation as a reckless genius intact. Also of course to screw with her too.

The part that made her the most mad wasn't that he was risking the patient's life when there were safer options. It was that even though she realized it was the wrong thing to do she wanted to do it anyway. Because she still respected House even though he was a pain in the ass, and she knew that he was brilliant. Doing something this rash sent a surge of adrenaline through her that she hadn't felt in a long time. It made her feel alive.

Chase was going to go get approval from the mother and she was thankful she didn't have too. There was a certain kind of desperation that they had to show the patient and his parents in order to get them to accept their reckless treatment, and she wasn't sure she could pull it off. Especially not with the excitement flowing her.

She couldn't help but have a kind of proud strut as she walked through the halls to the ICU. She was starting to understand the God complex that some doctor's had. It was addicting, having that kind of power. Having the clearance to do something this risky made her feel important, like everything was at a new higher stake. It was obsessive.

Walking slower up to the nurse's stand in the middle of the floor, Frances gazed into their patient's room as she heard the attending nurse say her name, Chase and the patient's parents were no where to be found.

"Dr. Frances?" The nurse repeated looked at her slightly strangely. Frances gave a small apologetic look as she turned her attention to the nurse in front of her. "Is there anything you need?"

Nurse Macy Carson looked up at her expectantly, Frances faltered for a minute before ordering the high amounts of liquid protein House wanted.

"It's a case for House." Frances explained wearily as the petite nurse nodded and smiled, the top of her light red hair the only thing peaking out as she bent down to get the medicine. When she came back up she had a knowing expression on her face, while handing it to Frances.

"I'm not surprised. It's good to see you." She said with a smile at Frances. Since most of their patients needed to be in the intensive care Frances had gotten to know and become slightly familiar with Macy. They were opposites, Macy was bubbly and outgoing where Frances was more private and introverted, they still got along well regardless. "Though I was kinda hoping that Dr. Chase would've been sent over here instead."

Frances scoffed at the younger woman's blatant attraction to her coworker. He was attractive but his personality didn't really thrill her, but Chase did have a trend of getting with any young attractive woman he met and Frances knew that Macy certainly wasn't opposed to something strictly casual.

"Glad to know you appreciate my presence." Frances muttered back under her breath sarcastically and Macy gave her a knowing smile.

"Oh you know I like seeing you for five minutes once a week." She hinted at her friend's busy schedule. "But Chase is a nicer view." As Frances grabbed the medication and was about to go into the room Macy exclaimed. "Oh! You should bring Chase when we go out to get drinks Friday night!" She gave a shrill cry and jumped a little. Even though Macy acted like a 16 year old, she was endearing. Frances sighed and looked at her.

"I didn't even say I was going to go." Frances gave her a look at the disappointment on Macy's face. "It's not really my thing, I'll probably end up working the night shift for House that night anyway."

"Erin Frances you have worked the night shift Monday and Tuesday this week. You'll probably end up working it again today which just means that House making you work it Thursday or Friday would just be cruel and unusual punishment."

Frances barked out a laugh and leered at her friend. "Because cruel and unusual punishment is something House is above." She grumped for the purpose of her friends amusement. Her friend gave her a knowing look, the light green of her eyes darkened at her pathetic excuses.

"House may not be, but he likes you and I'm sure he'd enjoy the opportunity to make one of his other fellows stay and work their asses off instead. And even if that doesn't work Foreman certainly wouldn't let you work nights 4 days in a week." When Frances said nothing a grin broke out onto her friend's face, as if she took Frances' silence as her agreement. When in actuality there were so many things that she would rather be doing than going out for drinks with people she didn't know. At least if Chase came she would have a second person to talk to, though she doubted Macy or Chase would be doing much talking once they were together.

"I have to go to the patient." Frances said picking up the bottle and shaking it in front of Macy, making sure to purposely not give her an answer about Friday. Macy sighed and relief flooded through Frances just as the power and adrenaline had a few minutes earlier. As she walked away toward the patient's room she heard the young redheaded nurse call out to her.

"You better come Friday! And make sure to ask him!" She called while Frances pretended not to be able to hear what she was saying as she walked in the glass doors of the ICU room. Giving a polite greeting to the patient, noticing that his parents and Chase weren't back yet, she set the medicine on the table and looked as the teen boy swallowed it. Satisfied that he had gotten it all, she told him that a nurse would be in soon to check on him and that she expected his parent's would be back shortly.

* * *

Wilson and House were sitting at their usual table in the cafeteria when Wilson took a bite of his sandwich and gave House a confused look, his mouth and cheeks filled with salami on rye. His best friend was being moody, more so than usual and Wilson hoped it hadn't had anything to do with the boxing game. He had thought that they had moved past that and after reconciling this morning he thought that House had gotten over it. He knew he should've known better. Wilson bet that House's chaotic plan to get Foreman to let him go to the fight had backfired and that was why he was in such a bitter mood. With a deep sigh Wilson resigned to himself and decided to try to explain the situation to House yet again.

"You realize I have to invite someone else to the Rubio fight?" He said picking up a chip and placing it in his mouth before his could respond. The older man just scowled up at him before taking one of Wilson's chips off his plate.

"Nope. No realization whatsoever." House retaliated his expression darkening. Wilson closed his eyes slowly trying to gather the patience to deal with him. The oncologist held in a sigh.

"You have a LoJack on your leg." Wilson stated bluntly. House's face didn't change.

"I was happy watching the fight on pay-per-view. You're the one who insisted we go to Atlantic City." House said while reaching for half of Wilson's sandwich, but Wilson slapped his hand away. House's blue eyes darkened just like his face and Wilson sighed audibly before cutting one of the sandwich halves in half and turned the plate so that the smaller pieces faced his friend. House reached past the the quarter sandwiches and picks up Wilson's sandwich, taking a big bite out of in contempt.

"Your biological father was a decent, God-fearing minister. The guy who raised you was a cold-hearted jerk. I'm trying to figure out why you're so convinced Frances has parentally inflicted damage." Wilson said trying to change the subject since House obviously wasn't going to understand his position anytime soon. He was slightly surprised at himself for bringing up Frances but decided that it would work well enough to get House off track.

"You're trying to deflect." House replied giving his friend a questioning look that Wilson had a feeling wasn't about his defection and rather his not so subtle mention of House's new doctor.

"Now you are." Wilson said quickly, not going to let House get the upper hand. Especially about a woman, Wilson knew just how much House liked to read into things and exaggerate. "You have to believe that every parent screws up every child or you were screwed out of a decent childhood, which is why you're pestering all your employees about it. Namely your newest one."

But apparently House wasn't ready to move on from the boxing topic. "And you're trying to get me to give up and not go to the fight so that you can ask little miss Pulmonologist to go with you instead and maybe make a move on her in a trashy motel in Atlantic city."

Wilson felt himself blushing and choked out a gasp of air at his friend's accusation. House just raised an eyebrow his nervous denial, his best friend's sullen expression remained. "You're only saying that because I ate lunch with her yesterday instead of you." Wilson collected himself and reverted back to being snarky and sardonic with his friend.

"I'm also saying it because of you're reaction when you first saw her a week ago." House muttered. "I know she's hot but when you were checking her out it was like all the blood in your body left and pooled into your pen-"

"I'll admit she's attractive!" Wilson said quickly, willing to do anything to get House to not finish his sentence. "But I ate lunch with her because I was being polite House. You know that thing no one expects you to be? She was new, I felt compelled to buy her lunch."

"You felt horny." House said snidely. Wilson just groaned quietly and tried to ignore him until he saw House take another bite of the sandwich and then tossing it back at Wilson, missing his plate entirely. "It's not my fault. Bad parenting." He finished before sliding out of the booth and limping away.

* * *

Sitting in the empty Diagnostics office working on filing Frances sighed to herself, tapping her black pen against the glass table and only focusing on the sound the plastic made against the clear surface. The slight high she had had earlier when getting the risky medicine for the patient had faded and she was now left thinking about how truly risky it was.

The worst part was that she didn't feel that worried about the patients well being, but more for her own. She had heard stories every since coming to work her about House's unconventional methods when it came to diagnosing and treating patients. She knew that House had more malpractice suits against him than she could probably count and knew that if it wasn't for his reputation he'd have been fired and his medical license permanently revoked ages ago.

She didn't want that to happen to her. She knew that House asked them to do insane things and Taub had even told her that he expected them to break into patients homes regularly. She didn't want to compromise all she'd worked for but she also knew that she trusted House's judgment.

She trusted that they had done the right thing by flooding the patients system with proteins. If she had to go back and do it again, she would.

She was just finished with her last clinic patient file when she heard her pager beep and felt it vibrate against her thigh. She looked down and saw it was from Chase. He had been the one currently attending to the patient. Her stomach lurched. She knew something bad would happen, and as she ran down the hall to the ICU she knew all that was left was to see if they had sent him into cardiac arrest or a coma.

Once she finally reached the patient room she saw Taub and Park scurrying around inside the room, the parents were huddled in the corner looking horrified and a nurse with bleach blonde hair was pulling out injections and handing them to her coworkers.

She assumed it was the heart attack. If it was a coma they wouldn't be rushing around desperately trying to stop what was happening. Which meant that she had been wrong about toxins, and as long as they got his heart back into normal sinus rhythm that House was right to do the protein flooding test instead of treating for the 'most likely toxins'.

Frances was just about to run into the patient room when she noticed Chase standing on the outside of it looking at her, she was sure it was the first time he had looked serious since she had met him. She widened her eyes when he said nothing, only giving her an odd glare.

"What's happening? Did his heart fail?" She asked urgently not sure why he didn't want to let her go in.

"No it didn't." He stated simply. She was even more confused and she was sure that it was apparent on her face, she wasn't even bothering to hide it.

"Then what happened? It wasn't a coma." She was even more confused.

"The kid's eye popped out of it's socket and started bleeding everywhere. They're in there trying to get it under control and they're going to tell me if we need to use the OR I had to book." His voice was sullen as he looked at her. She was absolutely bewildered.

"But what would cause his eye to do that?" She asked her voice quiet and not her usually sultry low tone.

"The protein medication." Chase replied. "The one you gave him." His voice was low and practically growling. She automatically felt defensive and felt her voice come back.

"Yeah the one House told us to give him." She said a small glare now apparent on her face. "What's the big deal?"

"I never got the parents approval." He said and her entire being dropped.

"What?" She heard herself croak out.

"They denied treatment. They said no."

* * *

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